COMMENT | Did non-Malays shun Sg Bakap ballot box?

COMMENT | The Sungai Bakap by-election concluded with Perikatan Nasional retaining the seat with an increased vote share.

This immediately triggered finger-pointing by some Pakatan Harapan and BN leaders against non-Malay voters, especially the Chinese.

This article evaluates preliminary data obtained from political parties to evaluate if the accusations are valid.

But first, a primer. All constituencies are subdivided into daerah mengundi (voting districts). Typically, each voting district will have one polling station, usually a school or a community hall.

The mainstream method of campaigning typically sees political parties organising their resources and activities based on these voting districts and their granular demographic data.

The Election Commission does not...